Yarn-making apparatus



Nov. 7, 1933. c. P. BROCKWAY El AL 1,933,544

YARN MAKING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED; STATES rice 1 PATENT or,

YARN-MAKING APPAR TUS ration of Delaware Application November 21, 1930 Serial No. 497,100

11 Claims. (01. 117--2) i This invention relates to yarn making apparatus, and particularly to apparatus for making asbestos yarn and is a continuation in part of an application Ser. No. 310,486, filed October 5, H28.

In a type of machine as developed by us and described in our copending applicationentitled Yarn forming machine, Ser. No. 202,796, filed July 1, 1927, the yarn is made by drawing a cotton thread or other core forming material through a die simultaneously with a strip of asbestos paper which is fed into the die at such an angle that it forms itself around the core, and the core and paper are bound tightly together by a pair of wires which are caused to twist around the paper and core as they pass through the die.

In forming the paper around the core, it has been found that when the. paper is relatively dry, it forms a more or less loose yarn, and does not compact itself around the core, so that after the yarn is completed, it may still be compressed into a very much smaller space. This has the result, when the yarn is woven into fabric as a brake lining, of permitting the thickness of the fabric to be considerably decreased under pressure, which not only disturbs the adjustment of an automobile brake, where the fabric is used for a brake lining, but at the same time loosens the weave of the fabric and impairs the strength and wear resisting qualities thereof.

We have found, however, that when the paper strip of asbestos is sufficiently moistened as it goes into the die, it will compact itself closely about the. core, so closely in fact that when the finished yarn is woven into a fabric, the fabric is so dense, that it corresponds in its compressibility to a moulded brake lining, but still retains the flexibility of a woven one. When the wire reinforcing elements are woun about the core and paper strip as it passes through the die, they form helices which have a diameter depending on the bulk of the core and paper. If the paper is dry and does not form closely about the core, it is evident that the diameter of these helices will be 'greater than if the asbestos strip is formed compactly around the core. Inasmuch as the speed of the machine does not change, the pitch of the wire helices will be considerably greater where the diameter is less, and as the pitch of the helices becomes greater, the strength thereof increases as the wire becomes more nearly straight. Thus, the effect of moistening the paper as it passes into the die, results in a relatively large increase in strength of the finished yarn, and therefore greatly improves the strength of the brake lining or other fabric which is made therefrom.

Heretofore, an attempt has been made to keep the paper moistened by spraying water into the air of the room where the machines are, located,

and while this is advantageous. in aiding the r handling of the paper as it prevents breakage thereof, it is objectionable to the employees, and does not moisten the paper sufficiently to pro-, duce the desired results.

We have found that a very, desirable way of supplying moisture to the paper is to first saturate the core, which in this instance comprises a cotton string, with water, and then pass the core into contact withthe absorbent asbestos ing the strip at substantially the instant it passes into the die. Since the moisture isapplied, however, along the strip axis, the edges'of the strip are still dry as the strip enters the die so that the tensile strength of the strip is maintained While the strip is still subject totension. It is one of the objects of the present inven- -tion, therefore, to provide ameans of moistening the paper strip as it passes into the die of the a A further object is to yarn. forming machine. provide ameans for moistening a weakpaper strip of asbestos without lessening the tensile strength of the strip to the point of breaking.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in a yarn forming machine tosaturate the core string with water. I 7

Another object of the invention is to provide means in a yarn forming machine to regulate the tension of the paper strip as it passes into the formingdie. Y

The invention has beenillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which.

Fig. l is a front view of the'machine; I Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine showstrip approximately at its midpoint, thus moistening the core and the paper strip being fed therethrough;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the tensioning rollers;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side view of the core moistening trough; and f Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of the core and paper strip as they pass into the die.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the frame 10 supports a ball of string 11, which is passed through a tensioning device 12 mounted on a bracket 13 and secured to the frame. A bracket 14 also secured to the frame 10 rotatably supports a plate15, which is adapted to hold a roll of asbestos paper strip 16. Both the slight angle, the angle being such that the: strip is causedto' form around the string as it passes through the die. A frame 18 rotatably mounted about the die 17 carries spools 19 of wire 20, which passes over suitable pulleys 2 1, and is rapid rotation of the entire frame 18;

.result indicated above.

I So far the description of the machine corresponds to the machine shown in the last application above referred to. The means of moistening the core and of tensioning the paper strip will now be described.

After the string leaves the tensioning device 12,

it is led downwardly into a trough 22 supported on a crossbar 23 which is attached to an upright 24 forming part of the frame 10. The trough 22 is provided with a pair of grooved rollers 25 which are mounted on a bracket 26 secured to a support 2 7 which is longitudinally supported above the center of the trough 22. The rollers are spaced apart as indicated, and

'guide the string into the water 28 and out again at the other side of the trough.

We have discovered that if while the string is being drawn through the water, it is rubbed against some relatively soft surface, such as leather, cloth or wood, it immediately absorbs more water and becomes completely saturated therewith, which insures a greater amount of moisture being supplied to the paper strip.: Accordingly, the arm 2.) is secured to the bracket 26 and extends slightly below a line tangent to both of the rollers. This arm is provided at its lower end with a covering of leather or other relatively soft material 39 against which the string is caused to rub as it passes through the water, with the While the use of the rubbing device to increase saturation speed is desirable, we do not desire to be limited thereto, as with some strings a rubbing action is not necessary, suflicient moisture being absorbed merely by passing the string through the water. We have also found it possible to control the degree of saturation of the string by varying the time of immersion of the string, and also by varying the type of liquid, a solution of various chemicals in the water changing the saturation time period.

When the paper strip is moistened sufficiently to compact about the core, it is very'easy to pull apart, and therefore, we have found that it is desirable to provide a delicate tensioning means, so that the proper tension will always be applied to the paper as it passes into the die to prevent breakage of the paper. This has been accomplished by providing a roller 31 mounted on a bracket 31, secured to the frame of the machine, which in the present showing constitutes the angle 24. A second roller 32 is mounted on a plate 33, which is pivoted at 34 to the bracket 31'. The plate33, for convenience, is made triangular in shape, the roller 32 being mounted at one corner and the pivot 34 being positioned at another corner. When so mounted the weight of the plate 33 tends to urge the roller 32 toward the right, as shown in Fig. 2, which, as is evident from an inspection of this figure, will squeeze the paper between it-and the roller 31. Inasmuch as plate, 33, however, is relatively small, the force urging the two rollers together is relatively small, and the roller 32 will readily move toward the left if for any reason the roll of paper on the bracket 14 should catch or stick, thus compensating for any extra force needed to draw the paper, and when the paper unwinds freely from the bracket 14, the roller 32 will again be urged against the roller 31, thereby maintaining a constant tension on the paper. Any irregularities in the paper will readily pass between the rollers,

roller 32 giving'toward the left and hence the r from an inspection of the drawings.

danger of breakage at this point is eliminated. It will also be noted that the tension rollers are relatively close to the die, and it has been found advantageous to place these rollers as near the die as practicable to maintain the constant tension while the roll of paper supported on the bracket 14, may be supported as freely as possible, so that nothing will interfere with the passage of the strip between the roll and the tensioning device. A bracket 32 may also be provided attached to the plate 31 and having a pair of closely spaced fingers 33 extending on each side of the paper strip as it passes toward the rollers 31 and 32. These fingers are adapted to' catch any enlargements of the paper strip or foreign matter which might be drawn down with the strip, and if necessary, to break the strip to prevent such enlargements or foreign matter from being drawn into the yarnforming device. Between the roller 31 and the plate 33 we have provided a grooved roller 35 which is adapted to receive the string 11 and guide it at the proper angle down into the die 1'7, and which is freely rotatable with respect to the roller 31. An additional guide member 36 mounted on a bracket 37 attached to the angle 24 is also providedto guide the string clear of any moving parts of the machine. The operation of the invention will be evident The string is drawn through the tensioning device: 12, a guide 13', another guide 10' attached'to the frame work of the machine above the trough 22, down into the water 28 under the rollers 25 and the relatively soft material 30, up again through the guide 36, over the roller 35, and down into the die 1'7. The paper strip is fed from the plate 15 through a guide 14, between the fingers 33', between the rollers 32 and 31, and down into the die at such an angle that it formsitself around the string as it passes into the die. At the same time that the stringand paper strip pass into the die, the reinforcing wires 20 are. wrapped around by the rotation of the frame 18. As soon as the paper strip contacts with the string it begins to absorb moisture from the string, but the speed of movement of the strip is such that the edge portions of the same are still dry when the strip enters the die, thus maintaining the requisite tensile strength of the strip until it is formed about the string core. By the time the strip has entered within the die, however, it is thoroughly moistened and may be properly formed about the supporting core. It is evident from the above that we have provided a'means to moisten the paper strip at exactly the right moment when it passes-into the die, such means being simple and conveniently arranged on the machine so as to supply the proper amount of moisture. We have also provided the tensioning device to give just the right amount of tension to the paper to prevent it from tearing, due to its moistened condition, said device cooperating with said moistening means.

Many changes in the construction as shown and described may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we therefore desire to interpret the invention broadly, limited only by the scope of" the appended claims. c

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim is:

1. In a yarn forming machine, a forming die, a means togu'ide a strand of core material into said die, a means to guide a strip of paper inftoa said die, and means to moisten said strip of paper, said means comprising a vessel for containing a liquid, and a roller positioned in said vessel to guide said strand through the liquid therein, and stationary means for frictionally engaging said strand while immersed in said liquid, said strand being adapted to engage said strip and moisten the same as it enters said die.

2. In a yarn forming machine, a forming die, means to guide a strand of core material into; said die, means to guide a strip of paper into said die, and means to moisten said strip of paper, said means comprising a vessel for containing a liquid, and rollers positioned in said vessel to guide said strand through the liquid therein, stationary means for frictionally engaging said strand while immersed in said liquid, and means to maintain the tension of said paper strip as it passes into said die, said strand being adapted to engage said strip and moisten the same as: it enters said die.

3. In a yarn forming machine, a forming die, means to guide a strand of core material into said die, means to guide a strip of paper into said die, and means to moisten said strip of paper, said means comprising a vessel for containing a liquid, and rollers positioned in said vessel to guide said strand through the liquid therein, and stationary means for frictionally engaging said strand while immersed in said liquid, said last mentioned means comprising a relatively soft material, said strand being adapted to engage said strip and moisten the same as it enters said die.

4. In a yarn forming machine, a forming die, means to guide a strand of core material into said die, means to guide a strip of paper into said die, and means to moisten said strip of paper, said means comprising a vessel for containing a liquid, and rollers positioned in said vessel to guide said strand through the liquid therein, and stationary means for frictionally engaging said strand while immersed in said liquid, said means comprising a strip of leather, said strand being adapted to engage said strip and moisten the same as it enters said die.

5. In a yarn forming machine, a die, means to guide a strand of core material into said die, means to guide a paper strip into said die, means to moisten the core material before it reaches said die, and means to maintain a predetermined tension of the paper strip as it passes into said die, said last mentioned means comprising a roller rotatably mounted in fixed position with respect to the frame of said machine, a plate pivotally mounted on the frame of said machine, a,

roller rotatably mounted on said plate adjacent said first mentioned roller, said plate being so mounted with respect to said first mentioned roller as to cause said second mentioned roller to be urged toward said first mentioned roller by the weight of said plate.

6. In a yarn forming machine, a forming die, means to guide a strand of core material into said die, means to guide a strip of paper into said die, means to moisten said strand of core material, said means comprising a vessel for containing a liquid, and rollers positioned in said vessel to guide said strand through the liquid therein, and means to maintain the tension of said paper strip as it passes into said die, said last mentioned means comprising a roller rotatably mounted in fixed position with respect to the frame of said machine, a plate pivotally mounted on the frame of said machine, aroller rotatably I mounted on said plate adjacent said first mentioned roller, said plate being so mounted with respect to said first mentionedroller as to cause said second mentioned roller to be urged toward said first mentioned roller by the weight of said plate.

'7. In a yarn forming machine, a forming die, means to guide a strand of core material into said die, means to guide a strip of paper into said die, means to moisten said strand of core material, said means comprising a vessel for containing a liquid, and rollers positioned in said vessel to guide said strand through the liquid therein, means for frictionally engaging said strand while the tension of said paper strip as it passes into said die, said last mentioned means comprising a roller rotatably mounted in'fixed position with respect to the frame of said machine, a plate pivotally mounted on the frame of said machine, a roller rotatably mounted on said plate adjacent said first mentioned roller, said plate being so immersed in said liquid, and means to maintain I mounted with respect to said first mentioned rollmoistening a strip element of a yarn by contact with a core element comprising a vessel adapted to contain liquid, and a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in said vessel and adapted to guide said core element through the liquid in said vessel, and stationary means for frictionally engaging said yarn forming core element while between said rollers, said means including a relatively soft material.

10. In a yarn forming machine, a die, means to guide a strip into said die including a roller spaced from the ends of the die-and with its axis perpendicular to the axis of the die, and means to guide a strand of core material through the with, the strand passing around the grooved roller in the same direction as that in which the strip passes around the first mentioned roller.-

11. In a yarn forming machine, a die, means to guide a strip into said die including a roller spaced from the entrance of the'die and with its axis perpendicular to the axis of the die, means to guide a strand of core material through the die including a grooved roller at one end of the first mentioned roller and around which the strand passes in the direction opposite to that in which the strip passes around the first mentioned roller, and means for moistening said strand before it comes into contact with the strip at the die.

CARL P. BROCKWAY. WILLIAM NANFELDT. 

